Terminal mounting means for electrical conductors



NOV. 21, 1933. B, NKs 1,936,296

TERMINAL MOUNTING MEANS FOR ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS Filed June 26, 1931Patented Nov. 21, 1933 1,936,296

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TERMINAL MOUNTING MEANS FOR ELEC- TRICALCONDUCTORS Edwin B. Fairbanks, Goldwater, N. Y., assignor to GeneralRailway Signal Company, Rochester, N. Y.

Application June 26, 1931. Serial No. 546,963 2 Claims. (Cl. 173-324)This invention relates to a wire terminal An insulated stranded wire 3is terminated by mounting means for relay binding posts and an eyelet 4,as previously described, and. is semore particularly to a means forgrouping the cured to an insulating holding member I by a externalconnection terminals for a relay so as second eyelet 5. The holdingmember I is made 5'to permit their manipulation in unison. of suitableinsulating material, such as fibre, 60 Relays, used in railwaysignalling systems and which is adapted to be shaped to meet theparparticularly in centralized traflic control systems, ticularrequirements. The eyelet 5 has a cylinare a part of a rather complicatedcircuit ardrical portion which is adapted to pass through rangement,thereby making their removal for a hole in the holding member I and bushthe testing, repair or renewal a difficult task, inaswire eyelet 4 sothat its extreme flared end rests 65 much as it is'absolutely necessaryto return each against the lower side of the holding member I. externalconnection to its proper relay binding The other extreme end of thecylindrical portion post. of the eyelet 5 is flared and crimped over thetop In view of this fact, it is proposed in accordance 0f e eyelet 4 toSecurely hold both eyelets on the with this invention to provide a meansfor asholding member I. 70

sembling the external wire connections in unit e inside d am O th eyelet5 i5 Suitably groups for conveniently removing these connecselected SOthat, when assembled, the unit fits tions from the relay binding postswithout deeasily on t y of s p t u a d n p s ranging th ir relativepositions where it is securely held and locked between Other objects,purposes and characteristic feaw s e s 6 by t The Clamping force 7 turesof the invention will appear as the descripexerted in this way moresecurely engages the tion thereof progresses, during which referenceseyelet 5 with the wire eyelet 4 thus insuring a will be made to theaccompanying drawing, which low resistance connection between the twoeyeshows the invention in a manner to make it easily lets and betweenthe eyelets and the binding p understood, rather than with the view ofshow- The terminal mounting arrangement shown in ing the particularconstruction preferably em- Fig. 3 is made up ready to be connected tothe ployed in practice, and in which: relay contact binding posts 1. Theholes in the Fig. 1 shows a side view of the invention apfibre holdingmember I are properly located so plied to a relay (indicated by dot anddash lines). ha he mpl m m r n be easily placed 30 Fig. 2 shows a frontview of a form included over all the contact binding posts 1. Suitablein th in nti references, such as the letters A, C, etc., as Fig. 3 showsa perspective view of a form of the shown, may be placed on the holdingmembers invention. near these holes to correspond to the references Fig.4 shows a detail sectional view of one form on the relay thus making itconvenient to properly 35 of terminal mounting. locate the externalconnections to insure that The application of the invention illustratedin correct connections are made when the unit is the drawing comprises amethod of terminating installed on the relay. The external wireconnecthe external wire connections of certain relay tions 3 are usuallygrouped into a cable, as illusbinding posts which are so associated thattheir trated, and bound by ties or tape, which is self- 40 externalconnections can be grouped and handled supporting and prevents anyturning of the wire in unison. The relay, illustrated by dotted andeyelets 4 on the fibre member I dashed lines in Fig. 1, has its contactbinding Another arrangement of terminal mounting posts 1 symmetricallygrouped in two rows with is shown in Fig. 2, which shows the externalconthe back row raised above the level of the first nections for theoperating coils of the relay shown 45 row and the binding posts 2 of theoperating coils in Fig. l secured to a fibre member I in the manareplaced above the contact binding posts, as ner previously described andas illustrated in shown, and in horizontally spaced relationship. Fig.4. References, such as and as The external connections of such relaysare shown, may also be placed on the fibre member usually made ofinsulated stranded wire and ter- I near the terminal eyelets todesignate the par- 5 minated by a round copper eyelet which is ticularbinding posts 2 upon which the conneccrimped and soldered to thestrands. Before tions are placed when the unit is assembled onconnecting these eyelet terminals to their rethe relay. The lowerdownwardly extending porspective terminal binding posts, they aresecured tion of the fibre member I is included to carry to an insulatingholding member in the manner the number assigned to the particular relayupon 55 illustrated in Fig. 4. which it is placed, such as 521 HP, asshown.

It is probable that, in many relay installations, a connection will notbe made to every binding post, but this will not necessitate that a.different form of holding member I be constructed, as one standard formcontaining the complete number of holes can be employed and eyeletsomitted where connections are not to be made. It may also beadvantageous to construct the holding member I of material which isslightly flexible in order to tighten on binding posts which may differslightly in height.

A different form of mounting the wire terminals on the holding member Imay also be used, such as a single one-piece eyelet consisting of acylinder having a central annular outwardly projecting shoulder whichpermits crimping one end of the cylinder around the wire connection toclamp it between this end and the shoulder, and crimping the other endaround the hole of, and against, the fibre holding member I.

From the accompanying drawing and the foregoing description, it can beseen that a means for mounting wire terminals on an insulating memberhas been provided which enables these wire terminals to be handled as aunit and installed or removed on an associated group of binding postswithout disturbing their relative positions. These units are also soarranged that only one way of applying them is possible and in the caseof a unit having all the terminals in one plane the possibility of itsbeing connected in a reversed position is obviated by the referenceletters on the insulating holding member.

The above description of the forms of the present invention is givensolely by the way of example, and is not intended, in any manner, in alimiting sense. It is also to be understood that various modifications,adaptations and alterations may be applied to meet the requirements ofpractice, without in any manner departing from the spirit or scope ofthe present invention, except as limited by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Means for co-ordinating the current conduct ng Wires leading to arelay having two associated rows of binding posts located on differentplanes comprising, a slightly flexible insulating sheet bent instep-like fashion to be disposed in two substantially parallel planesand provided with two rows of holes one row in each plane of said sheet,a metal eyelet in each of said holes, and a wire connected to each ofsaid eyelets.

2. Means for co-ordinating the current conducting wires leading to arelay having two associated rows of binding posts located on differentplanes comprising, a slightly flexible insulating sheet bent instep-likefashion to be disposed in two substantially parallel planes and providedwith two substantially parallel rows of holes one row in each plane ofsaid sheet, a metal eyelet in each ofsaid holes, and a wire connected toeach of said eyelets.

.' EDWIN B. FAIRBANKS.

